Improvement in brick-machines



UNITED Saulrras IMPROVEMENT IN BRICK-MACHINES.

PATENT O i ICE.

HENRY HUGHES, OF'PEK-IN, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-THIRDi IS RIGHT TOWILLIAM S. KELLOGG, OF SAME PLACE.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 138,661, dated May 6,1873; appli l tion filed September 23, 1872. i

To allfwhom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY HUGHES, of Pekin, in the county of Tazewelland in the State of Illinois, have inventedan Improvement in Brick-Making Machines; `and do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear,andexact description thereof, reference being had to the annexed drawingmaking a part of this specification, in which like letters of referencerefer to like parts, and in which- Figure l represents a sectionalelevation of receiver for clay, with view of the working apparatusbelow; Fig. 2, a vertical end "view, partly sectional; Fig.' 3,horizontal section of halfl of the receiver B, the other half beingremoved to exhibit the platform for the molds.

This invention relates to the reciprocating frame of a brick-machine,having dogs or claws constructed and 'arranged to feed the moldsautomatically from two ormore chambers to the receiver, in combinationwith the longitudinal slots of a platform; also, to the operatingmechanism for accomplishing the above, as will be hereinafter more fullyexplained.

One of the forms in which I construct this machine is as follows: A A AA represent a stout square frame, in the upper part of which is theclay-receiver B-a circular receptaclewhich rests upon the bottom C,which, in turn, rests upon long blocks m m m, which form the sides ofthe passages along which the brickmolds are propelled. Through thisbottom piece C are cut several passages, a a, &c., for clay, which liein a line across the machine on either side of the shaft Q. Below theblocks m m m, and on which they rest, is a horizontal platform, D D, onwhich the molds slide, and which projects for some distance on each sideor end of theframeAAAA, there bein ga space between this platform andthebottom of the receiverB of a little more than the thickness ofthebrick-molds S S, &c. Four parallel slots, ddd d, are cut throughtheplatform, which run from end to end, nearly, ofthe same, there beingtwo slots on each side of the shaft Q. In these slots pass back andforth claws or dogs c e e c, which project a short distance above thesurface of the platform, and are pivoted or otherwise attached to theoscillating frame E E, which is supported in a groove, f, beneath theplatform in either side of the machine. ertical slots in the frame E Eretain thecla, e, which are each pivoted above their center f gravity soas to maintain the hook of the e `wabove the platform-surface when notother v se depressed. These, or each pair of these, ola on aside of themachine catch the rear end l f the lowest of a pile of molds, S S,&c.,'in t chamber g, when the oscillating frame E E 1 sses inward andcarries one mold (one on ea 1| side of the shaft Q) to a spot directlyunde he clay-passages a a, 8vo., and then returl for another. Theoscillating frame E E is act ted by a rod, F, pivoted to the under sideof e same, and having the remoter end attach n Vto an arm, G, which isset on a horizontali xle pivoted transversely of the lower platfor Z.This arm G is, in turn, connected, by a r1 d, H, with a `second arm, I,which oscillates pon a similarly-pivo ted axle, the middle po ion ofwhich arm is connected, by a rod, K, w` `h a bevel or miter wheel, L,which engages 'th a similar cogged wheel, M, fastened upon `n e outerend of a horizontal shaft, N, running ngthwise of the machine. Thisshaft carries `=econd bevel or miter wheel, O, which engag with asimilar horizontal wheel, l), on th l central vertical stirrer andpresser shaft and-terminates in a pulley or wheel, T, which the vmotivepower is attached. Sev al holes for the pin for adjustment of motio arepierced through the arms Gr and I. Th stirring and pressing shaft Q, inthe center of; he machine, is pivoted in the step x on the lo erplatform Z, and above in the cross-piece ci t top of the frame A,carries horizontal radi l stirrers or cutters q q q q on its upper part,ithin the receiver B, and below these, ver, il ear to the bottom G, fouror more radial inc` ned arms or pressers, RR R R, consisting of i on orother strong material, shaped like a lol ide, and inclined at an anglewhich will b t press the clay through the passages a a, 8a and are soarranged that they pass over a; press the clay downward into the moldson at the time a mold is situated thereunder. `l e shaft terminatesbelow in a bevel or mi j wheel, P, which, being engaged with anothe, onthe shaft N, receives its rotary mot-ion. 1 1

The operation of this machine as follows:

The clay is thrown into the receiver B, where it is thoroughly slicedand mixed and pressed downward by the inclined blades R revolving withthe shaft Q through the passages a wat, &c., which are made smaller thanthe superficial area of the intended brick and its mold S S, &c. Onemold, containing brick-recesses similar in number to the openings a a a,&c., lies beneath each set of openings, one on either side of the shaftQ, and are there deposited successively (on being filled) from thesupplychambers g g, in which they are piled one uponthe other ready forremoval by the claws e e e c, which move along the slots d d d d in theplatform D D, and, passing beneath the molds S S toward the outer end ofthe machine, by bendin g toward the back part of their inclosing slots,re-erect themselves when the outside edge of the mold is reached. Onemold is taken simultaneously from each pile of molds on either chamber gg by the claws which are devoted to that chamber and pile of molds, andpropelled along the platform D D between the guides m m m to the pointunder the passages a a, Src., at the same time that one of the inclinedpresser blades R R R R reaches said opening and fills the mold; and onthe passage of another blade, R, thereover the claws e e, 85e., propelanother mold to the same spot, displacing the first one, each, in turn,being filled and propelled to the other end of the platform, the moldlast deposited shoving its predecessors before it until they arrive atthe opening gf tie machine, where they are removed by all The operationof the oscillating frame, or means of actuating it, have been alreadydescribed under that head, as Well as that of the stirrer-shaft Q.

The area of the clay-passages a a a, &c., are made smaller than `that ofthe brick-mold below in order that the clay may pass at once to thelbottom of the mold without removing the coatingof sand from the sides ofthe same, but is afterward, by the continued pressure of the blades R R,8vo., expanded horizontally on all sides without disturbing thenecessary coating of sand on interior of the mold, so requisite for theproper delivery of the well-shaped brick.

What I claim as my invention is 1. rllhe reciprocating frame E, providedwith the dogs or claws e, constructed and arranged to feed the molds Sautomatically from two or more chambers, g, to the receiver B, incombination with the longitudinal slots d of the platform D, the wholeconstructed so as to operate f substantially as set forth.

2. The actuating-rodF, crank G, connectingA rod H, arm I, rod K, beveledgear-wheels L M, shaft N, drivin g-wheel T, and beveled gearwheels P O,all combined and arranged to opl crate the stirring-shaft-Q and frame E,substantially as shown and set forth.-

In testimony that I claim the foregoing im provement in brick-machines Ihave hereunto set my hand this 7th day of September, 1872.

HENRY HUGHES.

Witnesses THOMAS KEER, LEHHEUR FRAZELLAH.

